Bears

[rt36crazyfists]

Anyone wanna set the record straight for me? I've never gotten a concrete answer. What to do when you come across a bear. I know what not to do, give it space, dont make eye contact, dont get between mother and cub. My understanding is for black bears, try to look big and scare it away, loud noise, unless of course its an unusually large bear? For grizzlies? an attacking grizzly - play dead, a grizzly staring you down - slowly back away, no eye contact. I've heard that if a bear comes into your shelter, do everything you can to fight and flee. Any truth to this? I'm mostly concerned with black bears though, could someone please fill me in.

[wildWoman]

The experts keep changing their advice slightly every few years or so. An excellent website that will answer most of you questions is www.bear.org, particularly about black bears. I've found that some of the body language of bears acutally resembles that of dogs, and if you treat a bear like you would a potentially dangerous dog, you have a good rule of thumb to go by.
Personally, I find bears are way overrated as far as danger goes. The vast majority of them just want to be left alone and won't bother you. They can be curious but that does not mean that they are intersted in harming you. If a black bear stalks you, he's being agressive and then you do well to stand your ground and shoo him off, but that is very rare and not a behaviour you're likely to encounter.
Again, spend an hour on www.bear.org and you'll be a lot wiser about their body language, behaviour, and recommended course of action for yourself.

[amranch]

u got it right,noise!

[BruceZed]

Alot more likely to be hit by lightning than killed or even attacked by a Bear

[Beo]

Beo's Bear School 101 for Numpty's
1st thing to do is remain calm.
2nd thing is to puff your chest and flail your arms real wild like while screaming.
3rd stomp up to the bear and smack it right on the nose (if there are cubs kick them in the azz)
4th and most importantly is turn around and run for your life

Of course this is the condensed version, the actuall class is a tad bit longer

[canid]

for that matter:

5th. if you have other hikers/campers with you, make sure you're wearing better shoes than they are...

[Beo]

Or grab one of them hikers and toss them to the bear, as he's eating make your escape.
rt36crazyfists, I really have no clue with bears, only what I've read and that would mean carrying a good bear spray with me. Medicine Wolf did a good post on this somewhere.

[MCBushbaby]

Anyone wanna set the record straight for me? I've never gotten a concrete answer. What to do when you come across a bear. I know what not to do, give it space, dont make eye contact, dont get between mother and cub. My understanding is for black bears, try to look big and scare it away, loud noise, unless of course its an unusually large bear? For grizzlies? an attacking grizzly - play dead, a grizzly staring you down - slowly back away, no eye contact. I've heard that if a bear comes into your shelter, do everything you can to fight and flee. Any truth to this? I'm mostly concerned with black bears though, could someone please fill me in.

whoa, settle down there. Let me set the record straight before you kill yourself:

Black Bears
Happen upon an unsuspecting black bear (he doesn't see you) - make a loud, continuous noise to alert and scare it off
Black bear sniffs the ear (usually standing on hindquarters) - Trying to get a better idea of what you are. Appear big and make noise
Black bear clicking it's teeth or grunting - He's pissed, back off slowly but DO NOT TURN
Black bear charges - most times it's a bluff charge, stopping within feet of you. He's pissed, back up slowly and DO NOT TURN
Black bear stalks you (CNN video of this) - black bear is hunger-crazed or is not mentally straight. Find a large stick and fight back, loud noises, do not play dead.
Black bear attacks you - DO NOT PLAY DEAD! Black bears do not fight because they want to negate the threat if they are startled or you get too close to a cub. They will kill you dead. Fight for you life. Do not climb a tree. Black bears can as well and are faster.

Grizz
Happen upon an unsuspecting grizz (he doesn't see you) - make a loud, continuous noise to alert and scare it off. Grizz might not scare off, in which case back up slowly while continuing noise DO NOT TURN
Grizz sniffs the ear (usually standing on hindquarters) - Trying to get a better idea of what you are. Appear big and make noise, back away
Grizz clicking it's teeth or grunting - He's pissed, back off slowly but DO NOT TURN
Grizz charges - rarely a bluff charge, be prepared for a fight
Grizz stalks you - If in the fall, you will be in for a fight. If in the spring or summer he's probably curious
Grizz attacks you - PLAY DEAD. Lie on your stomach, hands behind your neck, fingers intertwined, with feet slightly apart. Grizz only want to negate the threat. Stay still minutes after the attack as well. Climb a tree. Grizz cannot climb trees.

If you must fight, aim for the eyes and nose. Their fur can be inches thick and a 4" fat layer, in prep for hibernation in the fall, so even your 6" knife will just touch their muscle tissue.

EDIT: Or, if you come across a bear willing to compromise an alternative to physical conflict, perhaps a well-brought-up bear, challenge him to a game of chess. No bear has ever won a chess game.

[MedicineWolf]

you have to accept the basic reality that you may encounter a bear. Its his home not yours. That being said here's what we teach on bears.
If you are in open country, use binoculars to scan the horizon to look for bears. In more forested landscapes, be sure to make lots of noise and keep a mental inventory of climbable trees (just in case). Remember, black bears are agile climbers, and grizzlies have also been known to climb short distances up trees. To be safe, you should look for trees that will allow you to get at least 10 m (33 ft) above the ground. Don't forget that bears can charge at 50 km/hr (30 m.p.h.). You'll need some time to climb that tree.
Bear has not detected your presence and is more than 100 m (350 ft) distant.Don't announce your presence if the bear has not seen you. If possible, retreat slowly and give the bear plenty of space. If you have the opportunity, you should retreat and leave the trail to the bear. If you must continue, back off a short distance, and give the bear time to leave the area. You should also do a wide detour quietly and quickly downwind to avoid problems.
Bear has detected your presence, but is more than 100 m (350 ft) distant.
Your goal here is to act in such a way as to allow the bear to identify you, but to also let it know that you are no threat. Speak calmly so that it knows you are a human (their eyesight is quite poor). They will often quickly give ground to you once they identify you as human. If the situation permits, back away slowly, keeping a close eye on the bear. Otherwise, you may wish to detour around the bear, but in this case, detour upwind so that the bear can get your scent. Keep talking calmly. Waving your arms may help it identify you as a human.
Bear has detected you and shows signs of aggression.
If you have followed the advice listed above, hopefully you have a bit of distance between the bear and yourself. You'll need to...
Assess the situation. Are you dealing with a black bear or a grizzly? Are there cubs involved? Are there climbable trees nearby (and do you have sufficient time to climb them)?
Do Not Run. You can't outrun a bear so don't even try. Despite rumours to the contrary, black and grizzly bears can outrun a human on ANY terrain, uphill or down. People will tell you that you should run downhill when chased by a grizzly. This is simply a myth - don't try it!
Try to retreat slowly. Back up slowly and try to put more space between you and the bear. Talk calmly so that it can identify you as human, and slowly back up. Keep your backpack on as it can provide protection if necessary. Don't make direct eye contact, but keep a close look at the bear as you back away.
Climb a tree if available. If you have enough time, and the bear continues to move closer, take advantage of a tall tree to climb. Remember, black bears are strong climbers as well. Grizzlies have also climbed short distances up trees after people. You want to get at least 10 m (33 feet) high to reduce the chance of being pulled out of the tree. Even though some bears can come up the tree after you, the hope is that they will feel less threatened, and thus less likely to chase you up the tree.
If the bear charges you. Bears will often bluff charge before attacking. This is designed to allow enemies to back down before the bear needs to actually make contact. It evolved as a way to prevent encounters with enemies and it may provide you with an opportunity to back away.
Use your pepper spray. This is a last resort. Pepper spray is only good at very close range (5 m or 15 ft). Wind will reduce this effective range even farther (and may blow the spray back into your face). If the bear approaches within this range, point the spray at its eyes and discharge the contents. Hopefully, this will either disorient the bear to allow you to escape, or at the very least deter it from attacking. Once you have partially discharged a canister of bear spray it should be discarded. While the spray may deter attacks, the smell of pepper can act as an attractor. If a black bear (or any bear that is stalking you) makes contact. If the attack escalates and a black bear (or any bear that appears to have been stalking you) physically contacts you, fight back with anything that is available to you. Black bears tend to be more timid than grizzlies and fighting back may scare the bear off. In addition, if a bear is stalking you than you are in a predatory situation and fighting back is your only option. This also applies to any attack at night as these may also be considered predatory in nature.
If a grizzly makes contact. As above, if you believe the bear to be stalking you, fight back with everything you have. In general though, playing dead in a daytime grizzly encounter tends to reduce the level of injury sustained by most attack victims. Many grizzly attacks are defensive in nature, and playing dead may show the bear that you are not a threat. Keep your backpack on as it will provide added protection. The best position is to lie on your side in a fetal position. Bring your legs up to your chest and bury your head into your legs. Wrap your arms around your legs and hold on tight. You may also lie on your stomach, backpack on, and place your hands behind your neck to protect that vulnerable area. Do not play dead until the last moment. Staying on your feet may allow you to dodge, or divert an attack.
After the attack. Once the attack has ended, remain patient. After a few minutes, try to determine if the bear is still in the area. If the bear has moved on, you should make your way towards assistance as quickly as possible.

[Beo]

I was joking.

[trax]

Things to pay attention to also: Does a bear **** in the woods? well absolutely and it smells big time, long way and it leaves a huge mess, so if you stumble upon the mess or suddenly catch wind of it, you know they are nearby.

Trees or bushes that are shaking in what seems an unnatural manner to you. Bears love scratching their backs and sharpening their claws.

Most bear attacks with blacks happen because the bear is startled. It's sense of smell and it's hearing are both far better than it's eye sight and these guys really tend to concentrate on what they're doing if they're cleaning out a berry patch or eating a fish. Make big noise if you spot one nearby, especially if you're downwind, cuz he/she might not have heard or smelled you coming.

About the danger of bear attacks. Let me draw a little analogy (if that's the right word). There are more work related accidents in office environments every year than there is in the mining industry. What's the difference? Getting a paper cut or getting dead. There's the severity to consider. The thing to remember about bears is that they're not afraid of you, like MW said, you're in their house. If they feel threatened by you or are startled by you, well they have a fairly limited skill set in terms of responses, run away or slap the crap out of you. For the most part, they will ignore you. The number of bear attacks in Ontario and Manitoba was way up last year, but I'd bet 90% were because of unprepared people stumbling around on a trail (ah nature hikers, they go well with a touch of salsa!) not knowing what they were doing, not knowing what signs to look for, consequently startling the bear and....all the experts in the world can't help you after that first slap. Bear in mind, whoops I was punny, that an adult bear can slap hard enough to break a bull moose's neck. That a lot of power. Our necks aren't as strong.

In terms of being told "what to do", I think being told what to not do is an equally valid response.

[Beo]

MW sent me these a real long time ago (maybe a year) but they should help.
Check out the campsite before you set up. Are there any signs that bears have been visiting this site? Previous campers may have been less vigilant in keeping their site clean, reducing food smells and cleaning up their garbage. The last thing you want to do is set up camp in an area that has become attractive for bears. If there are any signs of bears rummaging through fire pits, you can assume that bears have become attracted to this site. Your best bet, even if you are tired, is to simply move on.
Don't cook near your tent site. To avoid food smells near your tent, you should cook several hundred metres downwind from your campsite. You should also avoid cooking more food than you will eat and be sure to clean your dishes right away. If you must dispose of food waste, be sure to do this well away from the campsite. Don't forget to clean yourself if you feel that you may have gained some food smell as well. A change of clothes is not a bad idea either.
Properly hang your food out of reach of bears. There are many ways to hang your food to keep it save from bears. More and more backcountry campsites are providing hanging poles just for this purpose. Make sure you have at least 15 m (50 ft) of good rope to get your food high enough. If there is no hanging pole, you may use two ropes. Run one rope between two tall trees, and then hang your food from this first rope, leaving it suspended between the two trees. In alpine areas, there may be no tall trees to enable you to hang your food. In this case, you may have to place it in several layers of zip lock bags (to reduce food smells), and simply leave it on the ground several hundred metres from your camp site.
Don't forget, porcupines like to get at your supplies as well, but not your food. They munch anything with salt (read 'sweat') on it. This means your hiking boots and pack straps can make for tasty treats. In areas where porcupines are prevalent, you'll likely want to hang your entire pack out of reach, and keep your boots in the tent.
Menstrual Blood. While there is no definitive evidence that bears will seek out women who may be menstruating, it is something to consider if camping in bear country. As a basic precaution, women should wear tampons rather than external pads.
Check out the site for terrain attractants. Bears move through their range throughout the season, and knowing a little about their habits can help you choose a better campsite. Avoid placing your tent right beside (or on) any game trails. Also, since bears will use trees as cover when approaching an area, and open site may be safer than a well treed location. If you are in a forested area, try to select a site with a good climbing tree near the tent.
In grizzly country, couples may want to use a four person tent. Since garbage addicted grizzlies have been known to bite at objects brushing up against tent walls just to see whether it is edible, it is nice to have some space between you and the outside of the tent. A large tent may weigh a bit more, but it can give you a bit more peace of mind.

[wareagle69]

hate to dissagree but that could get someone killed point number 5 on both if a black bear attacks you fight back if a brown bear attacks you lace your fingers behind your neck curl up in a ball and play dead where does my experience come from i work with black bears i work with the minisrty doing studies like crawling into dens and such also have sid before we currently have 78 bears right now at our sister facility, also i would personaly not alert a bear if i cam across it unsuspectingly i wouls slowly back off quietly move away you risk too muck by saying if you came across a bear an said bear did not know you was there then you would make noise what happens if your in between cubs onestly where in the **** do some of you get your info from the tv or you read a book get your facts srraight before you get someone killed a**holes

[Rick]

WE - Was that last word really necessary? You could have put the period after killed and been done with it.

[wareagle69]

well we will put the period after someone gets killed for listening to people who don't know what they are talking about

[Rick]

Yea. I figured that out but there isn't any reason for name calling.

[wareagle69]

i stand by what i said rick it needs to be in bold letters in my opinion that kind of info will most definetly get someone killed, if your going to edit someones post edit the person giving potentially deadly info to the unsuspecting readers...

as always---------always be prepared prepare all ways....

[dilligaf2u2]

My only incounter with Bears was unevenful. They lost to the Colts!

Mind you I have been known to go bare in the woods. Would that count as an encounter?

Don

[MCBushbaby]

You don't want to curl in a ball because the can expose your soft underbelly. Laying on your stomach with hands behind your head and feet slightly apart prevents the bear from rolling you over. Rather have a bear tear at my back than my stomach


EDIT: Sorry Wareagle, I mixed grizz and black bear attack reaction. I know my stuff, I don't get it from TV, I just wrote it while I was groggy and flipped the two on that aspect.

[wareagle69]

grizzly bears in an attack will go for the head proven fact, where is it you get your experience from i have made my experience clear just so the readers can decipher this and make an informed decision